For þer is vch mon payed in-liche,

Wheper lyttel oper much be hys rewarde,
604 For þe gentyl cheuentayn is no chyche,
Queper-so-euer he dele nesch oper harde,
He lauez hys gystez1 as water of dyche,
Oper gotez of golf þat neuer charde;
608 Hys fraunchyse is large pat euer dard,
To hym þat matz in synne no scoghe2
No blysse bet, fro hem reparde,
For be grace of god is gret Inoghe;
[Fol. 47b.] 612 Bot now bou motez me for to mate
pat I my peny haf wrang tan here,

pou say; þat I pat com to late,
Am not worby so gret lere.

616 Where wystez þou euer any bourne abate,
Euer so holy in hys prayere,

Pat he ne forfeted by sumkyn gate,
pe mede sum-tyme of heuenez clere ;
620 & ay the ofter, þe alder þay were,
pay laften ryst and wrozten woghe,
Mercy & grace moste hem þen stere,
For be grace of god is gret innoze.

624 Bot innoghe of grace hatz innocent,
As sone as pay arn borne bylyne
In be water of baptem pay dyssente,
pen arne pay borozt in-to þe vyne,
628 Anon ke day with derk endente,
pe myst of deth dotz to enclyne

þat wrozt neuer wrang er þenne þay wente;
pe gentyle lorde penne payez hys hyne,

632 pay dyden hys heste, pay wern pere-ine,

Why schulde he not her labour alow,
Zyrd & pay hym3 at þe fyrst fyne

For be grace of god is gret innoghe?

1 gyfter (?).

2 In the MS. it looks like re-scoghe.

3 hem (?).

In heaven, the maiden says, each man is paid alike.

God is no niggard.

The grace of God is sufficient for all.

Those who live long on the earth often forfeit heaven by sinning.

Innocents are saved by baptism.

Why should not God allow their labour.

20

Our first father lost heaven by eating an apple.

And all are damned for the sin of Adam.

But there came

PARADISE WAS LOST THROUGH AN APPLE.

636 Inoze is knawen þat man-kyn grete,
Fyrst watz wrozt to blysse parfyt;
Oure forme-fader hit con forfete,

purz an apple þat he vpon con byte;
640 Al wer we dampned for pat mete,
To dyze in doel out of delyt,

& sypen wende to helle hete,
per-inne to won with-oute respyt;

one who paid the 644 Bot þer on-com a bote as-tyt.

penalty of our

sins.

Ryche blod ran on rode so roghe,

& wynne [&] water þen at þat plyt,
pe grace of god wex gret innoghe.

[Fol. 48a.] 648 Innoghe per wax out out1 of þat welle,
Blod & water of brode wounde;

pe blod vus bozt fro bale of helle,
& delyuered vus of pe deth secounde;

The water that 652 pe water is baptem þe sope to telle,

came from the

pierced side of

Christ was bap

tism.

pat folzed pe glayue so grymly grounde, pat waschez away be gylte; felle, pat adam wythinne deth vus drounde. 656 Now is per nozt in þe worlde rounde Bytwene vus & blysse bot þat he with-droz & pat is restored in sely stounde,

& be grace of god is gret innogh.

XII.

Repentance must 660 Grace innogh þe mon may haue,"

be sought by

prayer with sor

row and affliction.

pat synnez penne new, if hym repente,
Bot with sorz & syt he mot hit craue,
& byde pe payne per-to is bent,

664 Bot resoun of ryzt þat con not raue,
Sauez euer more pe innossent;
Hit is a dom þat neuer god gaue,
pat euer þe gyltle; schulde be schente.

1 So in MS.

The guilty may be saved by contrition.

668 pe gyltyf may contryssyoun hente

& be pur mercy to grace pryzt;

Bot he to gyle pat neuer glente,
At in-oscente is saf & ryzt.

672 Ryst þus pus1 I knaw wel in þis cas,
Two men to saue is god by skylle;
pe ryzt-wys man schal se hys face,
pe harmle hapel schal com hym tylle,
676 pe sauter hyt satz pus in a pace:

"Lorde quo schal klymbe by hy; hyllez
Oper rest with-inne þy holy place?"
Hymself to on sware he is not dylle,
680 Hondelyngez harme þat dyt not ille,
pat is of hert bope clene & lyst,
per schal hys step stable stylle,
pe innosent is ay saf by ryzt.

[Fol. 480.] 684 pe ryztwys man also sertayn
Aproche he schal pat proper pyle,
pat takes not her lyf in vayne
Ne glauerez her nezbor wyth no gyle;
688 Of þys ryztwys saz2 salamon playn,

How kyntly oure con aquyle

By wayez ful strezt he con hym strayn,
& scheued hym þe rengne of god a whyle,

692 As quo says lo zon louely yle,

pou may hit wynne if pou be wyzte,
Bot hardyly with-oute peryle,

pe innosent is ay saue by ryzte!

696 An ende ryztwys men, zet saytz a gome
Dauid in sauter, if euer ze sez hit,
"Lorde þy seruaunt draž neuer to dome,
For non lyuyande to be is Iustyfyet."
700 For-py to corte quen pou schal com,
per alle oure cause; schal be tryed,

22

CHRIST BLESSED LITTLE CHILDREN.

Alegge be ryst þou may be in-nome,
By bys ilke spech I haue as-spyed;

Pray to be saved 704 Bot he on rode pat blody dyed,

by innocence and not by right.

When Christ was on earth, little children were brought unto him.

The disciples rebuked the pa

rents.

Christ said suffer

Delfully burz honde; þryzt,

Gyue be to passe when pou arte tryed
By innocens & not by ryzte.

708 Ryzt-wysly quo con rede,

He loke on bok & be awayed

How Ihesu Crist hym welke in are þede,
& burnez her barne; vnto hym brayde,
712 For happe & hele that fro hym zede,

To touch her chylder þay fayr hym prayed.
His dessypelez with blame let be hym bede,
& wyth her resounez ful fele restayed;

little children to 716 Ihesu Crist þenne hem swetely sayde,

come unto me,

etc.

"Do way, let chylder vnto me tyzt,

To suche is heuen-ryche arayed,”
pe innocent is ay saf by ryzt.

XIII.

[Fol. 49a.] 720 Ihesu Crist con calle to hym hys mylde

No one can win heaven except he be meek as a child.

& sayde hys ryche no wyż myzt wynne,

Bot he com þyder ryžt as a chylde,

Oper elles neuer more com þer-inne,

724 Harmlez, trwe & vndefylde,

With-outen mote oper mascle of sulpande synne;
Quen such per cnoken on þe bylde,

Tyt schal hem men þe zate vnpynne,
728 per is þe blys þat cannot blynne,
þat þe Iueler sozte þurz perre pres

& solde alle his goud bope wolen and lynne,
To bye hym a perle [þat] watz mascellez.

The pearl of price 732 pis makelle; perle pat bozt is dere,

is like the kingdom of heaven, pure and clean.

pe Ioueler zef fore alle hys god,
Is lyke pe reme of hevenesse clere
So sayde pe fader of folde & flode,

736 For hit is wemles, clene & clere,

& endelez rounde & blype of mode,
& commune to alle þat ryztwys were,

Lo! euen in mydde; my breste hit stode;
740 My lorde pe lombe þat schede hys blode,
He pyt hit þere in token of pes;
I rede pe forsake þe worlde wode,
& porchace by perle maskelles."
744 "O maskelez perle in perlez pure,

pat berez," quoth I, "the perle of prys,
Quo formed pe by fayre fygure?
pat wrozt by wede, he watz ful wys;
748 þy beaute com neuer of nature,

Pymalyon paynted neuer þy vys,
Ne arystotel nawper by hys lettrure
Of carpe pe kynde pese propertez.
752 by colour passe; be flour-de-lys,
pyn angel hauyng so clene cortez
Breue me bryst, quat-kyn of priys1
Berez be perle so maskellez."

[Fol. 496.] 756 "My makele; lambe þat al may bete,"
Quoth scho, "my dere destyné

Me ches to hys make al-paz vnmete,
Sum tyme semed þat assemblé

760 When I wente fro yor worlde wete.
He calde me to hys bonerté,

'Cum hyder to me my lemman swete,
For mote ne spot is non in þe;'

764 He zef me myzt & als bewté.

In hys blod he wesch my wede on dese,
& coronde clene in vergynté,

& pyzt me in perlez maskellez."

768 "Why maskelle; bryd þat bryst con flambe

pat reiatez hatz so ryche and ryf,

1 The MS. has triys.

Forsake the mad world and purchase the spotless pearl.

The father of the maiden desires to know who formed her figure and wrought her gar

ments.

Her beauty, he says, is not natural.

Her colour passes the fleur-de-lys.

The maiden explains to her father that she is a bride of Christ.

She is without spot or blemish.

Her weeds are washed in the blood of Christ.